NYC Residents Unable To Find Homes In Greenwich Village Or Hells Kitchen
An in-depth analysis conducted by the Department of City Planning reveals that some of New York City’s most iconic residential neighborhoods, including the West Village, Hell’s Kitchen, and the Upper West Side, are grappling with an unprecedented housing shortage that is depleting their prized housing and apartment inventory.
Over the past decade, the majority of new housing construction within the five boroughs has been concentrated in a handful of smaller areas, predominantly Hudson Yards, Long Island City in Queens, and Williamsburg, Greenpoint, downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn.
City Planning Commissioner Dan Garodnick emphasized the need for change, stating, “For too long, housing production has been too heavily concentrated in just a few of New York’s neighborhoods.” The report’s findings will be officially announced along with this statement.
The statistics underscore the extent of the city’s housing shortage, which has propelled rental prices to astronomical levels—average new leases in Manhattan reached nearly $5,600 per month in July—and has repercussions across various aspects of life in the city.
In response to this crisis, Commissioner Garodnick’s department is preparing to introduce a series of adjustments to the city’s long-standing zoning code as part of Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” initiative. These adjustments aim to simplify and expedite housing construction throughout the city.
“To build a City of Yes, take on our housing crisis, and grow our economy, every neighborhood must contribute to our city’s housing growth,” stated Garodnick, reflecting the intent behind these upcoming changes.
The report’s findings highlight specific neighborhoods that experienced a decline in housing units, such as Greenwich Village in Manhattan, which lost 23 units while only seeing 10 new apartments or homes completed. Similarly, Hell’s Kitchen lost 35 units but gained just 21.
Several other neighborhoods, including parts of Midwood and Gravesend in Brooklyn, Cambria Heights in Queens, Hamilton Heights in Manhattan, and Kingsbridge in the Bronx, also lost more housing units than were built during the same period.
Overall, New York City added a mere 26,000 housing units last year, which is only half of Mayor Adams’ ambitious target of 50,000 new units annually.
The soaring rental prices are forcing those who can afford them into intense bidding wars, while less fortunate New Yorkers are left languishing in the city’s overwhelmed shelter system for extended periods, even after receiving housing vouchers, due to the scarcity of available apartments.
Post Comment